Synthesis and characterisation of dimeric eight-coordinate lanthanide(III) complexes of a macrocyclic tribenzylphosphinate ligand

The macrocyclic ligand 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7- triyl(methylenebenzyl-phosphinic acid) H₃L³, has been prepared and its complexes with Eu, Gd and Tb(iii) studied by NMR, relaxometry, luminescence and single crystal X-ray crystallography. In solution and in the crystal, the complexes have eight-coordinate metal centres with bridging phosphinate groups linking the two twisted square antiprismatic coordination polyhedra. A single stereoisomer crystallises from solution with an RRR and SSS configuration at the P centres in each sub-unit. The relaxivity of [GdL ³]₂ is low (1.9 mM^-1 s^-1, 298 K, 20 MHz), consistent with the absence of any proximate water molecules. The terbium dimer possesses a relatively long excited state lifetime (2.47 ms, 298 K).